CM wants new budget strategies prepared

Asks chief secretary to recommend action against officers who failed to utilise funds

KARACHI: While giving guidelines for the next annual development programme (ADP), Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah directed the finance and development departments on Wednesday to work on new budget strategies.

The CM issued these directives at a meeting of planning and development and finance departments.  The provincial ADP for current financial year was Rs142 billion and district ADP was Rs20 billion, said finance minister Murad Ali Shah.

Murad, who also holds the portfolio of planning and development department (P&D), said some of the departments were not taking their development schemes seriously.

Development additional chief secretary Muhammad Waseem claimed the finance department has released 100% allocation for 392 schemes. He added by the end of June, 577 schemes would be completed.

Referring to the utilisation of funds, Waseem said that Auqaf, Zakat and religious affairs departments have utilised only 15% of their funds, while the excise and taxation department has used only three per cent of its budget. He added the health department has a substantial allocation of Rs13 billion, out of which Rs10.2 billion has been released but its utilisation stands at Rs2.37 million.

IT department has also failed to utilise its released funds of Rs120.97 million, he said, adding that the katchi abadis department has not used any of their funds of Rs43.5 million. Waseem further said that the social welfare department has utilised only 12% funds, special education department has used zero per cent, mines and mineral seven per cent, labour department 18% and livestock 18%.

Hearing about failure of funds' utilisation, the CM directed the chief secretary to ask the relevant officers about it and then suggest action against them.

The CM also directed the finance minister to guide the finance and P&D team to prepare a detailed strategy paper for the development portfolio for the next financial year.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2016.